Venturing age and grade guidelines--update

More Centennial changes!

Scouting.org has posted the FAQs about the new age and grade guidelines for the Venturing program.  This adds a lot of information to the announcement.

It was great to see so many tweets yesterday passing the word around quickly that the change was coming!

So, get the FAQs and start your recruitment efforts.  60 days isn't far away (and it will happen before the 100 Days of Scouting runs out!).

Venturing gets younger--new age requirements

Quick news before the weekend:

Effective May 1, 2010, the minimum age/grade requirement will be changed to14 years of age or 13 years of age and completion of the eighth grade. 

So a slight change.  Or is it?  Will this impact your recruitment efforts for the spring?

I guess we'll see in 60 days how much demand there was for this.  Our crew may benefit by a girl or two (all female crew).

What do you think?  Help?  Hurt?  Harmless? 

Weekend Patrol Box #24

Hallowe'en is coming up fast, and there are plenty of Haunted Houses in our area to go to (including at Camp Rock Enon this weekend).  This fundraising effort by our council shows the kind of project that can be accomplished when folks make an idea happen.

If you are in the area, stop by--there are G and PG-13 versions so that little kids can enjoy it, too.

What do your Scouts do for Hallowe'en?  

I heard about a Cub Scout pack that dressed up in costumes and then conducted a regular meeting learning CPR basics.  


Not sure which was scarier, Cubs doing CPR or costumes...;-)

That definitely puts the "fun" in Scouting though!

Wet or dry, warm or cold, enjoy this week's Patrol Box.

1. How to build an igloo--Boy's Life online
2. Most of us have heard of Venturers and Explorers, and maybe even Sea Scouts--but how about Air Scouts and the Senior Degree Honor Society? Try Senior Scouting History for all of the programs Scouting has offered to older Scouts over the years.
3. New (to me) YahooGroup for Venturing--if you have a crew or are considering one (like me) this is a good resource to learn more about the program.
4. NASA has new hardware for us to get excited about--might not help with your campout, but it will surely inspire them--Ares is scheduled for a test flight on 27 OCT. (via Twitter @NASA_Ares_I_X)
5. Wearing your uniform to "trick or treat"? Cracker Barrel blog wants to know what you think.
6. Scoutstuff.org is really cleaning house:  how about "Den Meeting in a Box" kits (made for 10 Scouts and a month of work) for $9.88?  I hear uniforms are $6-8 in the older style now, too.
7. 4th Grade Webelos Scout Fast Tracks program--very neat stuff going on now for Webelos Scouts.
8. Art of Manliness blog has a book now--received mine this week and it is great reading.  Lots of information to share on "Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man".
9. An Hour A Week podcast #199--I'm about to listen to this, but it promises news on the NEW Academics and Sports belt loops and pins. From PTC Media.
10. Have you reached out to Scouting alumni yet?  Try the Alumni version of the "A Year of Celebration" patch and ribbons.  Let's get 'em back!

Hope your weekend goes well, and that you get to crack open that patrol box!

Comments or thoughts?  What do you think of podcasts and blogs for Scouting?  Leave word below or @Scoutsigns on Twitter.